Improvement in well-augers



D. N. ROOT. Well Angers.

No. 201,950. Patented April 211878 E NTU 40/2. 6% K UNITED STATES PATENTOEEIoE.

DATUS N. ROOT, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO 0. F. HODGES, OF

' SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN WELL-AUGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,950, dated April 2,1878; application filed June 9, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DA'IUS NELsoN Roor, of Dubuque, in the county ofDubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Well-Angers; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in earth-angers.

It consists in hinging each section to the auger-head, so that it can beopened outward, for the purpose of discharging the dirt after the augeris drawn upfrom the hole.

It further consists in making each section adjustable outward, for thepurpose of increasing or decreasing the size of the hole that is to bebored, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the same; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section, showing the underside of the head.

a represents the head, in the top of which is secured a drill-rod, b.This head is made triangular in shape, and in its under side are madethree recesses, which are arranged in relation to each other, as shownin Fig. 3.

The auger itself is composed of three sections, 0, each one of whichconsists of the curved wall cl and the adjustable slotted cutter 6, thatis bolted to its lower end. Inside of each section, and extending allthe way down, are the braces g, which strengthen the walls and hold themrigidly in positon. The upper ends of these braces are turned inward, asshown, and fit in the recesses in the under side of the head a. Each oneof these upper ends his provided with one or more holes for the purposeof receiving a pivot-pin, which passes through the ends of the head a,and upon which pins the sections of the auger are pivoted, so that theycan be opened outward, as shown in'Fig. 2, for the purpose ofdischarging the dirt.

Through each side of the head is passed a set-screw, 2', or otherequivalent device, which bears against the ends h, and thus holds thesections rigidly in position.

By loosening one or more of these screws, the Weight of the dirt willcause the lower end of the section to swing outward, and thus dischargethe contents of the auger.

By having a series of holes in each end h, each section or any one ofthem may be adjusted outward, so as to increase the size of the holethat is being bored.

In boring a well, in case quicksand should be reached, the auger can bewithdrawn, tubing put down in the hole, and then the auger reduced insize by moving each section inward a slight distance, and then passingit down through the tubing, and the well finished, the same as thoughthe tubing had never been inserted at the top, but with this difference,that the hole below the tubing will be slightly smaller than the holeinto which the tubing was inserted.-

By making the cutters removable they can be fed forward as'they wearaway, or can be removed entirely, so as to be replaced by others whenthey have become worn out.

Having thus vdescribed my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of thehead a with two or more sections, 0, each section having a number ofholes made through its shank, so that it can be adjusted outward orinward, substantially as shown.

2. In a well-auger, the combination of the head a, provided withclamping-screws and sections 0, each section being provided with.

the shank h, having a series of holes, whereby they are given twoseparate and independ ent movements-a lateral adjustment at their upperends, and a swinging movement at their lower ends, substantially as setforth. U

3. The head a, having recesses in its under side, in combination withthe shanks h of the I sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto set my hand this6th day of April, 1877.

DATUS NELSON ROOT. Witnesses:

JOSEPH WooDEoUsE, AUGUST 13. RINEHART.

